Reversible gas and steam engine.



Patented lah. 22, |901.

W. T. STRAIN H. B. NICODEMUS. REVERSIBLE GAS AND STEAM ENGINE.

(Application med mr. 21, 1900. KNo Model.)

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wILmAi-.r rr. STRAIN, or MenoNALn, AND HENRY'B. NiconnMs, or

ALLnennNY, PENNSYLVANIA.

RVERSBBLE GAS AND STEAM ENGINE.

SEECFIGATION fori/ning part of Letters Patent No. 666,364, dated January22, 1901.

Application filed March 21,1900. Serial No. 9,609.. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM T. STRAIN, residing at McDonald, and HENRYB. NICO- DEMUS, residing at 274 Howard street, Allegheny, in the countyof Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, citizens of the United States ofAmerica, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ReversibleGas and Steam Engines; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specitication.

Our invention relates to an improved combined steam and gas engine; andit consists in the certain details of construction and combination ofparts whereby the engine may be converted from steam-pressure topropulsion by gas-explosions, as will be fully described hereinafter.

Our invention also relates to an improved reversing-link, whereby theengine may be operated in either direction.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of ourimproved combined steam and gas engine, which is constructed andarranged in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is an enlargeddetailed sectional plan view taken through the center of the cylinderand steam or valve chest. Fig. 3 is a side elevation ot the valve,showing the arrangement of the steam-ports. Fig. 4 is a sectional endelevation of the same, the section being taken on the line .r .9c ofFig. 3. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the valve. Fig. 6 is a sideelevation of the valve, showing the position of the gas-ports, the sainebeing arranged on the opposite side from the steamports above mentioned.Fig. 7 is a detailed sectional elevation of the igniting device.

To put our invention into practice, we provide a base-plate 1, of asuitable size and form of construction, and arrange at one end thereof acylinder 3 and at the opposite end a powershaft 7, connected by a crank6, a pitman 5, a cross-head 24, arranged in slides 2 to the piston-rod15, and piston 26.

The above-mentioned parts are all of ordinary construction and thearrangement practically the saine as those now in common use.

The cylinder 3 is formed with a Water-jacket 25 to keep the same coolwhen using gas as the motive power and fitted with a suitablereciprocating piston 26 and at one side valvecase 16. This valve-case iscylindrical in form and is provided at each end with suitable heads andwith ports registering with those leading from either end of thecylinder 3. Operating within this casing 16 is a cylindrical valve 35,open at each end and provided with an operating-rod 15, which isconnected to an 'eccentric 7 in a manner hereinafter described. Enteringthe valve-case 16 is a steam-supply pipe 18, also a gas and air supplyvalve 19 and 20, which may be of any suitable design, will open byatmospheric pressure, and is held to its seat by the pressure within thecylinder and valve-casing 16. The operating-valve 35 consists of ahollow cylindrical shell formed at one side with large ports 36 and 36to admit gas and air to the cylinder (see Fig. 6) and on the oppositeside with steam 37 and 37 (see Figs. 3 and 5) and with recesses 38 and38. This valve is connected by a stem 15 to a suitable slide 14 and thesaid slide by means'of apitman 13 to a reversing-gea r arranged inconnection With the power-shaft 7. This reversing-gear consists of aneccentric 8, inclosed Within an oval strap 9, and the said strap 9 isattached to an oscillating link arranged in a bearing and provided witha rod 11, upon which the connection 12 of the pitman operates. Thevalve-stem is fitted with a lever 17, which is operated by hand to turnthe valve to present either the gas-ports 36 36 or the steam-ports 3S 38to the ports 28 and 311, formed in the cylinder 3. This valve-rod l5 isalso connected by a system of levers 18 to the valve controlling theadmission of steam to the easing 16 in a manner that when the gas-portsare in the position shown at Fig. 2 the said valve 18 will be closed.

Arranged at one end of the cylinder 3 is a check-valve 30, whichcontrols an inlet-port 29 to the cylinder and is held seated by theaction of a spring 32, the tension of which is regulated by nuts 33,operating upon the threaded shank of the valve-stem 31. This valve is soconstructed that the same may be held free from its seat when the engineis using steam as a motive power.

IOO

Connected to one end of the cylinder 3 is a suitable igniting device 22,which consists of an outer shell 22, an inner tube 22, having a passage23 leading to the interior of the cylinder 3, and a gas-jet tube 24, bymeans oi' which the inner tube 22 is kept at a temperature `sufficientto ignite the gas when forced into the tube by the movement of thepiston, thereby providing a means for exploding the gas mixture in thecylinder 3.

The engine is iitted with a suitable pump 39, operated from thecross-head 211 by connections 40 and 41. The exhaust-ports 27 arearranged at or about the middle of the cylinder.

To operate the engine with gas, the steamvalve 18 is closed and thevalve 35 in a position shown at Fig. 2 of the drawings. The gas isintroduced together with air through the Valves 19 2O into the casing1G, and upon the piston 26 moving to the lei't will draw by suction acharge through the ports 36 and 28 into the cylinder 8. Upon the returnmovement of the piston 26 the gas and air are forced back through theports into the casing 16, through the ports 36, 34, and 29 into theopposite end of the cylinder 3, and the Valve 30 will open under thepressure. The return movement of the piston (now moving to the left)will compress the gas and air, and at the proper moment is exploded bythe igniter 22 and the exhaust passing out through the ports 27. Theengine new being started will receive acharge of gas at each stroke ofthe piston.

To operate the engine by steam it is only necessary to shut off thegassupply and revolve the valve 35 by means of the hand-lever 17 andbring the ports 37 and 37' opposite the ports 28 and 34, formed in thecylinder, and by the reciprocating movement of the valve 35 admit steamthrough the ports 38 and 38' to either end of the cylinder in a mannerWell known in the art.

To reverse the engine when at full speed and propelled bygas-explosions, the lever 17 and the sliding block 12 of the link areelevated. These two movements open the steam-valve 18' and change theports from gas to steam and also the position of the operating-valve 35,and the steam rushing into the opposite end of the cylinder from theexplosion will instantly check the piston and move' the same in anopposite direction.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a reversible gas and steam engine, theoscillating link 11 operated by an eccentric 7 and connected to thevalve 35, having a reciprocating movement, and capable of being turnedupon its axis, the said valve being formed with both gas and steamports, to register with the ports leading into the cylinder, asdescribed.

2. In combination with an engine of the character described, consistingof the cylinder 3, the valve 35 and its casing, the said valve beingprovided with steam and gas ports located opposite each other, theoscillating link 11 connected to the said Valve, a means for turning thevalve upon its axis, a gas and air inlet entering the valve-casing, asteam-pipe 18 and valve, operated to open and close by the rotatablemovement of the operating-valve 35, the ports 28 29, one of which has acheck-valve arranged therein to conne the exploded gas, means asdescribed for shutting` off the supply of gas, and a snitable igniterfor tiring the charge of air and gas, all arranged and combined forservice, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto affixed our signatures in thepresence of two sub-4 scribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM T. STRAIN. HENRY B. NICODEMUS. Witnesses:

JOHN GROETZINGER, H. M. LEVIS.

